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| Ellen Britton, winner of the 2017 Design Innovation in Plastics Award |
- GSA
students beat off competition from almost 170 other applicants to win 1st and
3rd prizes in 2017 Design Innovation in Plastics Award - Ellen
Briton’s innovative product to keep children occupied and protected from the
sun on journeys wins top prize - Russell Kilgour’s new take on a travel camera bag is awarded 3rd
prize - GSA graduate, Michael Tougher, who won the award in 2014, has since secured support to take his
winning music education innovation – Soundbops – to market - Announcement
comes one week after four GSA recent graduates scooped the top awards at New
Designers 2017
Keeping
children occupied on long journeys is a challenge most parents know only too
well. 4th year Product Design Engineering student at The Glasgow
School of Art, Ellen Britton, has come up with an award-winning design that will
not only keep children occupied, but
also protect them from the sun
children occupied on long journeys is a challenge most parents know only too
well. 4th year Product Design Engineering student at The Glasgow
School of Art, Ellen Britton, has come up with an award-winning design that will
not only keep children occupied, but
also protect them from the sun
Ellen beat off competition from around
170 students from across the UK to win the 2017 Design Innovation in Plastics Award
for Peek,
an interactive travel
sunshade which uses smart technology to enable children to use their
imagination and create pictures, while still capturing glimpses of the big
outdoors through a car or train window. Her product was created in response to
a brief to create a product for travel – primarily in plastic – that
will make for a more comfortable and less stressful experience.
170 students from across the UK to win the 2017 Design Innovation in Plastics Award
for Peek,
an interactive travel
sunshade which uses smart technology to enable children to use their
imagination and create pictures, while still capturing glimpses of the big
outdoors through a car or train window. Her product was created in response to
a brief to create a product for travel – primarily in plastic – that
will make for a more comfortable and less stressful experience.
The announcement comes one week after
four Glasgow School of Art recent graduates scooped the top awards at New
Designers 2017 underlining the GSA’s position in the forefront of creativity
and innovation.
four Glasgow School of Art recent graduates scooped the top awards at New
Designers 2017 underlining the GSA’s position in the forefront of creativity
and innovation.
Peek: “a really novel idea”
Peek mirrors the experience of doodling on a
fogged up window and can help keep children occupied on long journeys. It turns from opaque to transparent as a child draws with
their fingers on its surface. This activity can take them away from the
interior focus which is typical when using a tablet device and help them engage
with the outside by playing with drawing through the sunscreen.
fogged up window and can help keep children occupied on long journeys. It turns from opaque to transparent as a child draws with
their fingers on its surface. This activity can take them away from the
interior focus which is typical when using a tablet device and help them engage
with the outside by playing with drawing through the sunscreen.
Peek is particularly innovative in the use of layered
plastic film materials to create a product which changes colour to the touch
yet is able to block UV and the heat from the sun. The
sunshade is constructed from a top layer of ‘touch and reveal’ thermochromic
film over several layers of different flexible plastics. It can be rolled up
for travel.
plastic film materials to create a product which changes colour to the touch
yet is able to block UV and the heat from the sun. The
sunshade is constructed from a top layer of ‘touch and reveal’ thermochromic
film over several layers of different flexible plastics. It can be rolled up
for travel.
“Ellen demonstrated her knowledge of her chosen market,
getting children from a Montessori school to test the product and explaining
the material investigation she had undertaken to provide the solution,” says Judge, Richard Brown of RJG Technologies. “She is a very worthy winner, and the judges will take an active interest in how
this product develops.”
getting children from a Montessori school to test the product and explaining
the material investigation she had undertaken to provide the solution,” says Judge, Richard Brown of RJG Technologies. “She is a very worthy winner, and the judges will take an active interest in how
this product develops.”
“Ellen’s was a really novel idea,
using materials which have been around for a while, but which we had never seen
used in this imaginitive way before,” adds Mike Stuart, a design engineer with Award sponsor, Covestro. “We
liked the attention to detail, and the fact Ellen talked with manufacturers to
discuss the correct products. This
design had been further refined following the first phase of judging, and
costings provided, which was appreciated by the judges.”
using materials which have been around for a while, but which we had never seen
used in this imaginitive way before,” adds Mike Stuart, a design engineer with Award sponsor, Covestro. “We
liked the attention to detail, and the fact Ellen talked with manufacturers to
discuss the correct products. This
design had been further refined following the first phase of judging, and
costings provided, which was appreciated by the judges.”
As well as winning a cash prize Ellen will now
have the opportunity to spend a week with the multi-national company, Covestro,
(formerly Bayer Material Science) in
Leverkusen.
have the opportunity to spend a week with the multi-national company, Covestro,
(formerly Bayer Material Science) in
Leverkusen.
Both students demonstrated innovation and creativity
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| GSA PDE lecturer, Hugh Pizey, with award winning students Ellen Britton and Russell Kilgour |
GSA
student Russell Kilgour scooped third prize for
Nomad, a design that addresses problems faced by
photographers on the move who are carrying SLR camera equipment and luggage.
Normally, the camera and accessories are kept in separate bags which can cause
frustration and waste time when switching between different lenses. Nomad
can reduce that stress as the camera and accessories are attached to a body
strap and easily accessible. It is
designed to be as lightweight and as small as possible for packing into hand
luggage, and occupies 50% less space than a standard small camera bag.
student Russell Kilgour scooped third prize for
Nomad, a design that addresses problems faced by
photographers on the move who are carrying SLR camera equipment and luggage.
Normally, the camera and accessories are kept in separate bags which can cause
frustration and waste time when switching between different lenses. Nomad
can reduce that stress as the camera and accessories are attached to a body
strap and easily accessible. It is
designed to be as lightweight and as small as possible for packing into hand
luggage, and occupies 50% less space than a standard small camera bag.
“We are delighted that Ellen and Russell have
been rewarded for their hard-work throughout this challenging project,”
says GSA Product Design Engineering lecturer, Hugh Pizey. “Both students demonstrated innovation and creativity in their
approaches during the project and in the use of plastics in their final
products.”
been rewarded for their hard-work throughout this challenging project,”
says GSA Product Design Engineering lecturer, Hugh Pizey. “Both students demonstrated innovation and creativity in their
approaches during the project and in the use of plastics in their final
products.”
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| Michael Tougher’s multi-award-winning “soundbobs” has recently been launched on the market |
The last
time the GSA entered the competition – in 2014 – students won 1st
and 2nd prizes. Michael Tougher who won the award has continued
development of his winning product – an
innovation that helps
children to to play, create, learn and love music – and secured support
to take it to market. It was recently launched as Soundbops (www.soundbops.com).
time the GSA entered the competition – in 2014 – students won 1st
and 2nd prizes. Michael Tougher who won the award has continued
development of his winning product – an
innovation that helps
children to to play, create, learn and love music – and secured support
to take it to market. It was recently launched as Soundbops (www.soundbops.com).
The Product Design Engineering programme at the GSA has produced many leading international designers including Jonathan Biddle – Industrial Design Senior Manager, Amazon; Amy Corbett, Senor Designer – Lego; Kate Farrell – Group Leader Functional Design, Cambridge Consultants; Etienne Iliffe-Moon – Director of Industrial Design (San Francisco) for BMW; Scott McGuire – RDD Manager, Dyson; Sam Smith – Design Lead, Apple; Gavin Spence – Senior Product Manager Tom Tom; 2012 International Dyson Award winner, Dan Watson, whose award-winning SafetyNet was developed as a final year PDE project at the GSA. PDE graduates have also set up award-winning companies in their own right including 4CDesign, CorePD, Fearsomengine, Meso Design, Red Button Design, Safehinge, Speck Design and wylie3D. A number of these companies were founded on the success of projects that were developed whilst still undergraduates.
Ends
For further information contact
Lesley Booth
07799414474
@GSofAMedia
Notes for Editors
The competition is organised
by the Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining and the Worshipful Company
of Horners. The prestigious Design Innovation in Plastics Award is the longest
running student plastics design competition in Europe, having been established
in 1985.
by the Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining and the Worshipful Company
of Horners. The prestigious Design Innovation in Plastics Award is the longest
running student plastics design competition in Europe, having been established
in 1985.
Main Award Sponsor:
With 2016 sales of EUR
11.9 billion, Covestro is among the world’s largest polymer companies. Business
activities are focused on the manufacture of high-tech polymer materials and
the development of innovative solutions for products used in many areas of
daily life. The main segments served are the automotive, electrical and
electronics, construction and the sports and leisure industries. Covestro,
formerly Bayer Material Science, has 30 production sites around the globe and
employs approximately 15,600 people (full-time equivalents) as of the end of
2016.
11.9 billion, Covestro is among the world’s largest polymer companies. Business
activities are focused on the manufacture of high-tech polymer materials and
the development of innovative solutions for products used in many areas of
daily life. The main segments served are the automotive, electrical and
electronics, construction and the sports and leisure industries. Covestro,
formerly Bayer Material Science, has 30 production sites around the globe and
employs approximately 15,600 people (full-time equivalents) as of the end of
2016.
Other sponsors:
Brightworks: an award-winning UK product
design and development consultancy dedicated to helping other companies develop
the best products for their customers, their markets and their brands
design and development consultancy dedicated to helping other companies develop
the best products for their customers, their markets and their brands
HellermannTyton: one of the
leading suppliers of products for fastening, fixing, identifying and protecting
cables and their connecting components
leading suppliers of products for fastening, fixing, identifying and protecting
cables and their connecting components
Innovate Product Design: specialises in helping individuals to
protect, develop and commercialise their new product ideas and inventions
protect, develop and commercialise their new product ideas and inventions
PDD: provides integrated design and innovation skills, working with
organisations worldwide to develop novel products, services and business
processes that drive revenues and create competitive advantage
organisations worldwide to develop novel products, services and business
processes that drive revenues and create competitive advantage
RJG
Technologies: an independent, non-biased company offering injection moulding industry
support, training and advisory services
Technologies: an independent, non-biased company offering injection moulding industry
support, training and advisory services
Victrex is a world leader in high
performance polymer solutions focused on the aerospace, automotive,
electronics, energy and medical markets.
performance polymer solutions focused on the aerospace, automotive,
electronics, energy and medical markets.
Media partners: British Plastics and Rubber, Materials World, Mould
Technology
Technology